Best Mistake
by lucians
Summary: "You're alone every other night. What would make tonight any different?" "You'd be with me." —-AriaEzra
1. Chapter 1

**This is just a short, AU story that I really enjoyed writing and I hope you enjoy reading it. Please leave a review!**

A shudder escapes Aria's lips as she throws the blankets off of her completely bare body, scooping her bra from the carpeted ground and sitting up on the bed.

"You're leaving already?"

She disregards the male's voice on purpose. He should know that the act of getting dressed meant she'd be leaving soon. Then again, in the last five months she's known him, he always has been preoccupied in his state of mind.

Her eyes ferociously scan the entire floor for her second undergarment when she remembers what happened to them. She turns her body and faces the man in the bed.

"Ezra, give me back my undies," she demands, her voice hoarse and husky, presumably from all of her piercing screams that rung through out the night.

The male, who is merely a silhouette in the darkness of the small apartment, lets a grunt out. "Not until you answer a question for me."

"Yes, yes! I'm leaving now, okay?" Aria exclaims, recalling his first question. She extends her hand and awaits the fabric to come into contact with her freezing hands. Her entire body shivers from the lack of clothing and she's just praying he won't play the teasing game for long, not when her mother expects she comes home in half an hour. "Ezra, I don't have time for playing your games."

"That's not the question I wanted to ask," he says. His voice strikes Aria very appealing. It's hot, it holds emotion. "Why do you always walk out on me? Can't you stay for the night?"

Aria bites her tongue for a second, letting the soothing sounds of Ezra's breaths take over her anxious state of mind. The amount of times they've had that conversation is too much to count off the top of her head. He doesn't seem to understand how far deep he's gotten himself into. Not only does Aria care for him in more than a physical way, but she cares about his well-being. It was risky enough with his job and her reputation on the line.

"If you were my boyfriend, I'd consider it," she lies. He doesn't need to know that she'd much rather prefer reading one of the classic novels stacked on the stand in her room than spending the night with a guy she's in a relationship with.

_Any guy except for Ezra,_ yips the vexatious part of her brain. She pushes her repressed thoughts in the deepest parts of her brain, although it doesn't fail to swim back and provoke her to speak her mind.

"Why do you want me to stay?"

When he shifts his body so that the moon's shine spills through the cracks of the shutters and onto his meticulous face, Aria sees the desperation and hesitancy sheathing his lineaments. He reminds her of a puppy dog, from his facial expression to the way he nonchalantly insists his beneficial friend that she should stay with him. It's more than apparent that his emotions have slowly entered the picture, and although Aria is positive that she's absolutely head over heels for the naked man laying in front of her, she knows better than to let her hopeless romantic standpoint take over. Ezra's lost the battle, the orange jumpsuit blinded by sheer infatuation.

"I hate being here alone."

Aria sees the luminous glimmer in Ezra's eyes when their eyes meet. It's the same way she used to look at her first love. She feels something claw through her chest — emotion. Something she vowed she wouldn't allow breaking through. It isn't fair of him to stir the pot. The safest thing for them is to continue their usual routine, a casual fuck every night Aria's free. Why isn't he able to see that?

She smears on her tough girl front and cocks an eyebrow, well aware that her expressions were hidden in the midst of the dark nonetheless. "You're alone every other night. What would make tonight any different?"

"You'd be with me," Ezra answers almost immediately, a dash of melancholy coating his tone. She feels something touch her hand, and it isn't her panties like she's expecting, but his hand. It's smooth and tender, sending a sensation surging from the tips of her fingers and through out her body. Frightened, she jerks her hand away and stares at him, wide-eyed. Ezra doesn't flinch in the slightest at her reaction, almost as if he's expecting it.

She doesn't know anything except one thing: she has to get out of there, stat. Ditching the underwear, she snatches her skin tight dress from off the floor and slips it over her body, wiggling it down her moderately voluptuous frame and dashing for the door.

But Ezra is faster, stealthier. He hops out of the bed and cuts through the kitchen to reach the door first, meeting her body as she lowers to grab her heeled boots. The only thing preventing him from cutting the lights on is the dignity that literally sprung out below his torso. He's already exposed enough, emotionally. Adding his physical nakedness on the list of vulnerabilities wasn't a point in his favor.

His heart races, and it's so loud he's certain Aria can hear it. Except for the first time Aria approached him in class only a few months ago, he's never felt so nervous in his life. He wants to show her that there was a chance for them and that they could make it work. If he has to choose between the sex over a real relationship, he'll choose a commitment any day. He wants to get to know what else laid behind those green-hazel eyes. He wants to undress her in more ways than one. He wants to give her everything he has, in hopes that she'll do the same.

Ezra's been patient but persistent. What will it take for her to acknowledge this? He doesn't rush or push Aria into something she doesn't want to do, but she can't deny what's right in front of her.

His voice shaky but surely, he questions, "What are you so afraid of?"

"I'm scared of you!" she blurts, throwing her hands, and heels, in the air. "I'm scared of how I feel for you. I don't want to be in love with you, but I am. And I hate myself for it. Is that what you want to hear, Ezra? Hm? Did you want to hear that cowardly, foolish young teenager that dared to fall in love with someone she wasn't supposed to?"

He's taken aback, for several moments. That isn't want what he was expecting to hear. In fact, it's more than he wanted.

When Aria takes a swipe to push him past the door, Ezra takes a grasp of her wrist, cautious not to inflict any pain. She can't leave, not yet. He's yearning for something, like a confirmation.

Unable to help himself, he leans forward to attach his lips to hers, except not with the driving hunger that usually empowered him, but a delicate and chaste kiss. When he feels her dainty hand touch his bare chest, he knows that this isn't a one way street. Her words were genuine, just like her soul.

And just like that, they're unable to tear themselves away from each other. He leans against the door for support as Aria's instinctive dominance takes over.

"E-Ezra," Aria whispers after pulling away to gasp for air. "We can't do this anymore."

His heart shatters into ridiculously small pieces at her words. "What are you talking about?"

"If we keep doing this, you'll end up in jail," she reminds, releasing her grip on his shoulder and the back of his skull. She, too, is panting but says no more. If there's one thing Ezra describes Aria as, it would be unpredictable.

"But it feels right, doesn't it?" he insists, caressing her cheek. She dips into his hand, responding fondly to his affectionate touch. Nodding against him, he can just barely make out Aria's lids closing. "Then give this a chance. Give me a chance. **_Please_**."

It's unlike him to plead, but what other choice does he have? Aria's so headset on protecting him, but he doesn't want that. He wants her.

"Fine."

He waits for her to finish. Nothing else comes out.

"Fine?" he repeats, more so as a question.

"I'll give it a try."

Ezra can't describe the feeling that swallows him whole. It's like elation and euphoria blasting from his toes to his throat, a croak threatening to surface and ruin the lighter mood.

"See you tomorrow, Ezra," Aria solely says before easily pushing him out the way and opening the door, careless of shutting it behind her. As he closes it himself, he can hear her small feet patter against the floor, inducing a smile from him.

He tries to get some sleep that night, but all he's thinking about are the ways he's going to prepare his first night with her, not as fuck buddies, but as a pair on a date. He's sure he can make this work and won't stop, even after he's sure he's given it his all.


	2. Chapter 2

**_ chapter two_**

* * *

_'And I hate that you don't think I belong to you  
don't treat me like a stranger_  
_you know I seen you naked.'  
_

When times get rough, Aria runs. It's what she's done in the past, and looking at Ezra through the ajar door of his apartment, she knows that she has to run again. She's never done anything close to first-rate when under pressure. What makes Ezra think she'd go against who she was to please him?

Her subconscious is doubting her. It's pestering her, notifying that if she really doesn't want him to get hurt, she wouldn't be standing right at his door, watching him as his face twists into a series of contortions from the sight of a bottle of pasta sauce in his hand. Evidently, he isn't much of a cooker.

The thought of pushing the door completely open and making an effort to participate in the date has crossed her mind once or twice, but to make an effort means caring. And caring is the last thing she's compliant to, not after the last time she cared. She's been duped before and it can't happen again.

Why does he want her in the first place? Sure, she approached him first with her act of seduction, but she was only hoping it would be a remedy to curing her broken heart. Now, sex and intimacy is an addiction, but one that she can get off of anytime.

Aria's feet are glued to the ground as she stares at him, conclusively mesmerized with every move he makes. He didn't have to do this. He didn't have to further complex their already complicated situation. It's much easier to place all the blame on him instead of turning any fault on herself. She's done nothing wrong except for allowing him to take away a piece of her heart every single time their bodies were entangled in sweet ecstasy. And even then, she knows how to keep her feelings in check.

"Aria?"

Panic surges through her body, evoking a dramatic jolt. Never has she been so scared to hear her own name. She notices that she unconsciously took a couple of steps forward and into the apartment when she was deep in thought. A self-note to scold herself later was stored.

Ezra, with a smile, places the pasta sauce down and walks forward to envelop her body into a tight hug. The action feels foreign to her, but that feeling lessons as she reciprocates the hug.

"I'm glad you came," the man tells her as he shuts the door behind her. In this moment, she knows her fate is sealed. She shouldn't have been so careless. She should have ran.

Instinctively, she captures his lips as her grip around him tightens and swipes her tongue across the moist facial part, requesting access promptly. She uses her soft moans to keep Ezra in the mood to go through with their usual ritual instead of having this dinner that he planned out, but to her surprise, he rips away as she fumbles with the buttons on his plaid flannel.

After muttering a swear word under his breath, he states, "Let's take this slow today. We can have some pasta and just talk."

Aria purses her lips to conceal her forthcoming groan of displeasure. She keeps her hand on his shirt, attempting to come up with a detour plot on the spot.

"What if I want something else besides pasta in my mouth?" Aria questions, permitting the teasing smile shape her plump lips. Her hand moves lower, groping his southern regions intrusively. She sees his poker face slipping away with every grasp and fondle. When he weakly protests she stops, she knows it's a losing battle. No way in hell would a guy say no to the alluring Aria Montgomery when she was on her knees and ready to take them.

They slip into their ordinary cycle, although this time, there's more fire. A fuel emerges in Aria, going to work in showing her gratification. Her senses are utterly heightened.

With a last cry of sexual intoxication, she flops off of Ezra and onto the other portion of the bed, closing her eyes and catching her breath in the process. Her high is in full effect, but gradually slows down with the pace of her respiration.

Aria turns her head to look at Ezra, her mildly dark tresses brushing the side of her head in the process. His head is dipped in the crook of the pillow, but she can still see his lineaments curving. His eyes are wide, his lips are sexily parted, and his Adam's Apple bobs relentlessly.

Ezra, on the other hand, is clandestinely disgusted with himself. He gave into his desires. The entire day, all he could think about was enjoying a nice dinner with Aria and instead, he took an advantage he thoroughly regrets. He officially classifies himself as a horny teenage boy that shows to be desperate enough to want to cop a feel. It's only verified just how much willpower he has as a man. He has no one to blame but himself.

He feels Aria's hand shift slightly on his chest, and he's more than positive she can feel his heart racing like no tomorrow. The sun ceases to exist and they are now trapped in the visuals of darkness, the only source of light coming from the kitchen.

Aria snuggles into him, relieving a bit of his guilt. He still knows that what he's done may cost him his chance to kindle a romance, but it's still worth everything to him to give it a try.

With a gentle kiss to her head, he whispered her name into her ear.

"Are you hungry?" he questions. His appetite is magnifying. Sex usually builds up his hunger, replacing the built up knot around his lower torso.

Aria makes an distinctive motion. "No. I think I'm just going to go home."

The sinking feeling in his stomach from last night returns. He feels as though he's failed himself. That spark of hope that she'd stay slowly fluttered away.

"Stay," he insists, shifting his body lower so that his cerulean-colored eyes met hers. He wish he harbored the same type of charm as she did so he could enthrall her in staying longer. Sadly, no one is as good as Aria when it came to the persuasion game. She could sell ice and snow to Eskimos with such charisma.

"I'll stay and eat your food, only if I get a massage in return," she negotiates. He watches her lips moves beautifully. They look soft and enchanting. Even without the lipgloss she smothers on, they look naturally pale red.

Without hesitation, he accepts the offer. If it's a way for her to stay longer, he'll comply. "Roll over, then."

Aria half-smiles and does as told before he leans over her to retrieve his briefs from the floor and slips into them. It's best to have a layer of fabric separate their sticky and sweat covered bodies for many different reasons.

As he kneads and presses against her back, digging into every muscle and untying each knot, he listens to the breathing of Aria to guide him through. When she respires normally, he knows there isn't much to massage. When she pants and whimpers, he knows he has hit a spot. In this activity, it's led him to familiarize himself with a series of new sweet spots.

When he's sure he's relaxed as many muscles as he possibly could, he issues a wave of chaste kisses down her spine, stirring an arch of the back on her part.

"Wanna go another round?" Aria mumbles.

"Maybe after we eat," Ezra agrees. He picks himself off of her and wobbles slightly. His legs almost crumble from the tense feeling. He enters the delightful smelling kitchen and grabs two bowls. He applies the pasta along with the contents of the sauce and adds extra spice into his. He brings the bowls to the bed.

In a minutes' worth, they have the covers wrapped around them from waist down. Aria's chest isn't completely exposed. Her hair covers them perfectly, like a curtain covering windows and what awaits behind. Ezra's thankful of the length.

"I thought this was going to taste terrible," Aria admits sheepishly. "But it's pretty good."

"Thank you," he replies, the praise boosting his confidence. "It's one of the only dishes I can cook, so."

"You did well," she compliments with an attractive smile.

The mood lightens heavily. The clanking of their forks against the bowl, along with the slurping and chewing of the food is all that can be heard. He's racking his brain, trying to find words. He dismisses school, on the account of their age difference and how Aria could possibly think about it. He can't talk about family, attentive to the depths that the conversation could reach and potentially scare her away. He could start simple. _Friends._

"So, did you have to ditch any plans with your friends to come here?" he asks.

"I don't have any friends," Aria answers with the most nonchalant tone Ezra's ever heard.

"What about Spencer Hastings?" he inspects. He's sure he's seen the two together sometime recently, idly walking around the school in between class time.

Aria chuckles, although it's not warm or heartfelt. "They're not my friends. At least, not when Alison's around. They're all a bunch of puppets."

Ezra's eyes deter to anything that isn't Aria. He doesn't know how to respond without seeming like he's interrogating her.

Slowly, they move onto different topics. Books, music, movies— basic interests. He finds out that they have a lot more in common than he expected. The light he always saw her in began to change. In front of him is a different Aria, a more intelligent and astute woman who knows what she wants in life. She appears as though she's gotten herself figured out, from her goals to her identity. Her voice is music to his ears.

By the time they've finished their pasta and their conversation, along with a second round (which proves to be much more devoted and sensual), it's eleven o'clock. Their heaves ring in the air once again. As Ezra turns to face the wall, he closes his eyes. He knows that it's an opportunity Aria's going to take, and he's handing it to her.

Minutes later, when he turns his head, his thoughts have been validated. Nothing but tangled sheets and aroma remain next to him. Just like every other night, she's slipped away.

**Based on the amount of people that wanted me to continue, I've decided this isn't going to be a one-shot anymore! This is going to be really exciting for me to write because it's a story where I'll be tapping into their emotions A LOT. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**chapter three**

* * *

_Is it crazy that I want you to stay w__hen I tell you to leave,_  
_when I tell you go?_  
_Is it crazy that I say your name m__ore times a day_  
_than I say my own?_

Before the school bell rings, _Mr. Fitz's_ eight period classroom is always separated into different cliques. Quite frankly, Ezra's never seen something so cliché in his life. The jocks, the guys who insist pairing their Rosewood jerseys with the same worn out skinny jeans make them look _cool;_ the populars, which subsist of Alison DiLaurentis and her group of four; the bookworms who group together and go over their early finished assignment; and the introverts, who space out around the classroom and speak to no one else, all by their lonesome selves.

Aria presents herself in the set of introverts, taking her seat in the middle row, second farthest from Ezra. He doesn't understand how someone as beautiful as her is excluded from partaking in the high school experience of being with a crowd of friends, unless jealously is the prime motive.

As Ezra continues to jot down a couple of notes into his teacher's guide, he steals a peek of the senior. Who _isn't_ jealous of Aria? She stands out as much as one could in a crowd, in a good way. Brown, curly tresses cascade down her shoulders, a glossy shine that could give Alison a run for her money. Her style, although in season, is rare to see in a town of commons. She doesn't wear trendy clothes nor does she wear preppy clothes, but colorful and chunky apparel. It suits her, and Ezra has shot compliments her way several of times on it.

Aria feels stares attacking her, all coming from different directions. It's normal to her. Ever since being dethroned from Alison's right hand girl to being Alison's most hated, her popularity has increased for the worst. She's learned how to take the constant remarks of being told that she's a slut or a boyfriend stealer, all because of one mistake that she doesn't even consider her own. She constantly proves to herself that, even though high school is Earth's version of hell, she can go through it with a smile.

As the bell rings and the shuffles of students feet as they struggle to reach their desk surround her hearing, she keeps her head down but glances up at the teacher behind the desk, the one whom she dedicates most of her current happiness to. To her surprise, he's eyeing her the same way she is— with a subtle method that only the two could possibly see. They exchange smiles and simultaneously go on about their business, with Ezra beginning the lesson and Aria mindlessly doodling on the back of her notebook.

Fifty minutes later, she hears the irritating sound of the bell ringing and leaps out of her chair. Sweet time is all she has. It's her last class, therefore she can walk as slow as she wishes— not that being in such a vexatious setting gives her joy. She just wants Alison and her group to leave before she does so they won't have the opportunity to approach her or poke fun at her behind her back, literally.

Neatly slipping her books into her bag, she slings it over her shoulder and stacks her finished work together. She looks up to see Ali give her a menacing look before turning on her heel. Spencer, Hanna, and Emily follow her. She swallows down the gigantic lump in her throat by force. It takes her a while to notice that Ezra and herself are the only two in the classroom.

The room gets hotter, Aria notices. She knows exactly why, but to comment on it aloud would be absurd. Quickly, she travels to Ezra's desk and slides her work onto his desk, unable to maintain eye contact.

"Come over tonight," she hears Ezra speak in a hushed tone, albeit no one else being in the classroom. It's an instinct, to be so covert with their unprofessional conversations, and Aria understands.

"On a date?" she inquires, slightly frowning to express her dislike for the idea. In actuality, a date doesn't sound half as bad as she's making it out to be, but giving him another chance to entrap her heart for another minute isn't in her best interest unless she's up for another heartbreak scenario.

Ezra's fingers fondle with the pen between his fingers, making an effort to keep his face neutral. He doesn't know what the right answer is, but he knows that whatever he says will be the determining factor for her arrival. He's persistent; he's determined. And he knows that this isn't one-sided; after all, she's admitted that she's head over heels for them, more so in a impetuous manner.

"It can be whatever you want it to be," he finally conveys as his hazel eyes bore into hers. The two are aware of Aria's win as an alluring smile quivers at the vertexes of her plump and glossy lips.

"Deal," she simply confirms, "I'll be there around seven."

She raises her hand and moves her fingers slightly to gesture her goodbye, all the while adding a wink. Ezra lets out a wheezy chuckle as his eyes trail back down to the stack of newly handed-in papers. It's a sign that it's Aria's time to go. With a swift turn, she sashays out of the classroom and pompously walks down the halls, allowing her beautiful lustrous locks to bounce up and down her shoulders.

Every stare and whisper directed her way gives her more of the backbone she needs to last in this damned school. She's never been one to feed off of attention, but if necessary, she'll display just how indifferent she feels about the scrutiny. Doing so will continue to keep Ezra in this dark shadow of obliviousness, thus preventing a swarm of questions that she, too, looks for.

She doesn't exactly know how she gained so much self-possession, but she knows it's well deserved. What once was a shy yet bubbly girl blossomed into this woman with class and beauty as high as skyscrapers; the introvert in her never escaped.

Her determined strut towards the outside of the school doesn't halt in the slightest when she hears her name being called out in the sea of students. The voice send shivers down her spine, and not the kind that can be associated with Ezra's touch. She proceeds to ignore the voice, the people, the setting— until she feels a hand grope her southern regions from behind, causing her to instinctively smack away whomever from behind. She turns her head as outrage embeds her lineament.

"Noel!" she shrieks, already on the verge of losing her cool.

"Aria," he says with the clear and sole purpose to ridicule her into insanity.

The brunette watches the ridiculous teenager stare her down in the most repulsive way; she feels like he's unclothing her with his eyes. She turns on her heel with the utmost flamboyance but she's unable to when Noel's hand grasps her arm roughly.

"What do you want from me?" she asks with demand. Her hand twists and turns to be released, but his grip is much too strong for her to cut through. The feeling of exposure triggers her nerves, which roll up her spine. She utters.

"How much?" Noel merely questions. Aria eyes him, waiting to hear the rest of his inarticulate sentence. The male finds a sly grin to plaster when he continues, "How much for a blow?"

Aria's eyes widen at his words. Out of nowhere, fear cripples her, which causes her body to immobilize on the spot. If she didn't believe him before, she sure does now. His steel blue eyes are blackened with lust, nowhere nearing the beautiful passion that lurks about in Ezra's.

"You're not funny, Noel," she updates.

"No, you aren't."

Aria's eyes flicker to the source, and to her surprise, she takes sight of Ezra, who takes menacing steps towards them. His ominous gaze directs at Noel. His presence gives Aria the strength to release her wrist, quickly rubbing off the pain with her other hand. She doesn't know what to think nor what to do; so she walks away.

"Aria, wait."

She doesn't.

"Aria," Ezra's voice nears her when she takes a dip onto the sidewalk. Her hand retains a hold on her wrist, which continues to throb and impel agony. She grimaces when he ducks in front of her, the familiar look of concern carved in his face. Her face grows pale with shame. She doesn't need him looking out for her like he owns her. She isn't weak; surely she's proven herself of this. She just wants to get home, if she can even call it that anymore.

"Talk to me," he petitions.

Aria, who is very aware that a few people are lurking about, shakes her head.

"I'm fine," she says before eliciting a shaky breath. "I'll see you later, Mr. Fitz."_  
_

Ezra's eyes grow with knowledge, abruptly attentive of their surroundings and the prowlers that could be listening in on their brief conversation. He looks over his shoulder to see the shrub that separates his view of the school, along with a collective band of students whose attention is directed at them but turn away once they see Ezra shift his scrutiny to them. All but one go about their business. Alison DiLaurentis watches them from afar, a look so sickly it gives Ezra unease.

Noel enters the picture, wrapping his arms around Alison and giving her a kiss on the cheek as the stunning blonde almost melts in his arms. Ezra shakes his head in disgust. First, the male repulsively hits on _his girl_ and then he proceeds to do the same to every other girl? It sickens him.

He swivels his head and opens his mouth to comment on his thoughts, but it all melts away when he sees that Aria has disappeared into thin air.

**Ooh, what do you think Aria/Ezra are going to talk about in the next chapter? How do you think Aria feels right now? The history between Alison/Aria will be addressed eventually, but very gradually. It ties into why she's so hesitant with Ezra. Let me know what your thoughts are and I'll update as soon as possible!**


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